


You Played Your Game (Incomplete)

by splot



Category: 2 Broke Girls, Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bucky likes cupcakes, F/M, Witness Protection, he also doesn't know how to tell a girl he likes her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-14
Updated: 2014-03-28
Packaged: 2018-01-15 16:51:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1312177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/splot/pseuds/splot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The man had shed his leather jacket, and was wearing a long-sleeved grey Henley, that, hello, seemed to just cling to the guy in the best way. As she made his coffee and placed it in front of him, she spoke.</p>
<p>"So, listen, James Bond, would you be interested in trying a beer-batter bacon crunch cupcake? I'm totally experimenting right now, and I decided experimenting with cupcakes is better than experimenting with meth, so..." Max trailed off as he moved to accept his coffee with his left hand. It was silver, mechanical, definitely NOT flesh and bone. "Whoa! That's so cool! Are you, like, the Terminator? But more sexy than Arnie?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from You Give Love A Bad Name:
> 
>  
> 
> "I play my part, and you play your game, you give love a bad name."

It's the usual Saturday night deal when she first meets him.   
Somewhere in that grey area between eleven and two in the morning, and the half-asleep college students are pouring in with the hipsters. He walks in, and he's wearing leather gloves and a leather jacket. He seats himself at Max's bench, looking around the diner with a bemused grin. Max pokes Caroline's arm excitedly.  
"Ooh, look, James Bond just walked in." She says to the blonde, and Caroline tilts her head.   
"He seems more like a terminator than a James Bond." She says simply, before moving to serve her tables. Max pulls out her notepad and strolls casually up to the dark-haired man, smiling her usual masked-snark smile.   
"How can I help you? And by that, I mean, what's the least I can do to help you?" She says, and the man's grin grows.   
"Is askin' for a coffee and a BLT too much or should I cut my order?" He's got that New Yorker accent, drawing out his o's and his a's, and biting off the end of his words like they personally offended him. Max's smile widens instantly.  
"Ooh, I like you already." She points at him with a raised eyebrow, writing down the order and clipping it up as Oleg taps the bell and holds out a plate of soup.  
"Soup's up for table five, Max. And soup isn't the only thing up, if you get what I mean." Oleg winks and his smarmy grin graces his face as Max grabs the plate. She rolls her eyes, and there's a look of mock sadness on her face.  
"And I thought Sophie had you house trained." She takes the plate to the table, before heading back to her original standing behind the bench. The man had shed his leather jacket, and was wearing a long-sleeved grey Henley, that,  _hello,_ seemed to just cling to the guy in the best way. As she made his coffee and placed it in front of him, she spoke.  
"So, listen, James Bond, would you be interested in trying a beer-batter bacon crunch cupcake? I'm totally experimenting right now, and I decided experimenting with cupcakes is better than experimenting with meth, so..." Max trailed off as he moved to accept his coffee with his left hand. It was silver, mechanical. "Whoa! That's so cool! Are you, like, the Terminator? But more sexy than Arnie?"   
He chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. "First, my name is James Barnes. Second, the cupcake sounds delicious, let me at it. Third, I'm not the terminator. Just got lucky by knowing some experimental mechanics when I got into an accident." He shrugged, taking another sip. Max pokes the metal fingers, and the guy-James- looks at her in disbelief.   
"Dude, you just became the coolest person here ever. Except for Earl, because we're totally in love." Max adds, handing him one of her cupcakes. James looks over at Earl with a grin, before shrugging.  
"Love is love, who am I to come between a beautiful dame and her man?" James jokes, taking a bite of the cupcake. Max opens her mouth to reply, but she catches herself staring at him. His eyes have widened, and there's a look of surprise on his face as he chews, as if he's suddenly had a huge revelation.  
"Max." He says after a moment, still awe-struck. "These cupcakes... Are amazing. Holy crap, I've found the meaning of life."   
Within seconds, the cupcake was gone.   
"Dude, did you inhale that? Because I've never seen a cupcake disappear that fast." Max is as surprised as he is. A smile crosses his face thats got hints of flirt that makes Max want to giggle like a schoolgirl.  
"Those were amazing, Max." His smile lifts slightly, and Max gives her usual cheesy grin. "Mind if I take whatever you got left of those to go? M'friends Steve and Tony will inhale 'em just as quick."   
She can't even think up a reply, his smile is sending shivers down her spine. She boxes the rest of the cupcakes from the platter, handing them to him. Their hands brushed ever so lightly and  _ooh jesus_ ,  _take the whole damned vehicle_ , but he's standing and tugging his gloves back on, and putting on his jacket. "I gotta run. Same time next week, doll?"   
"Dame, Doll, make up your mind, I can't be both, I have a bad back." She joked, and he laughed, throwing down a few bills.  
"Definitely a doll. No way a dame would have such a wicked mouth on her." He winked and with that, he was out the door, popping his collar up and hunching in to protect himself from the rain as he disappeared into the night.  
"Terminator was into you." A voice singsonged by Max's ear, and the brunette rolled her eyes, picking up the money James had left. "Oh my god. You're not replying with crack. I'm sorry, did he secretly replace you?" Caroline asked in disbelief.  
"Wait, are we talking about  _crack_ crack or just crack?" Max asked, her 'seriously, I'm kidding' face on. "Because if we're talking  _crack_ crack I've got that. I've also got crack too. I'm not crack'a'lackin'." Caroline began to reply but Max made a small noise. "Dude left a hundred dollar tip. He didn't even eat his BLT."   
"He's buying his way into your panties!" Caroline exclaimed.  
"Please, he gets a free pass." 

* * *

 

He comes every Saturday, and they get to know each other a bit more as time goes on.   
James was raised in an orphanage in Brooklyn, seperate from his sister. Max told him, in her own special way, how she never knew her dad and her mom was too stoned to care for her.   
Each time, Maxgave him her experimental cupcakes, and each time, he cleared her out and delivered them to his friends, with enthusiastic feedback, apparently.

This kept on for a few months, and Max felt she couldn't be blamed if she had a very teensy crush on him.

* * *

 

It was a wintery Saturday night, two weeks from Christmas. Max had donned a pair of thick woolen stockings under her uniform as snow lined the streets outside as she and the others went about their usual work. Her back was to the door when James arrived, and Max accepted the plates with a big smile at Oleg.  
"Hey, Oleg, when you get a second? Stop staring at my boobs." Max said sweetly, turning and nodding to James before moving to place the food at the tables.   
However, when Max made it back to her bench, James wasn't his usual cheery self.   
"Hey, what crawled up your ass and died, man?" Max asked with a cheerful grin, already pulling out a cupcake for him. He was still standing, and he shook his head.  
"We have to go, now." He was already moving behind the counter, grabbing her coat and her bag. "Come on, quickly."  
"Excuse me? Is this your way of asking me out, because I tell ya, it left a bit to be desired-" Max tilted her head, surprised by the cold, stern mask James had in place.  
"I don't have time for this. You're in danger, but if we move now, innocent lives could be spared. We need to go, now, Darcy." He's practically shoved her limp arms into her coat and holds out her bag, but she's frozen.   
He said her name.  
Her  _real_ name.   
Max Black had been witness-protection, all along. Everyone had seen her at New Mexico, and after what happened to Erik in New York, taking risks was not for Darcy Lewis.  
"You're..."   
"SHIELD Agent James Barnes, codename Winter Soldier, ID number 7459." He pulls out his badge, and Darcy's knees go weak. She wanted to be done with SHIELD. "Come on, Lewis, we need to go. This place has been compromised."  
"No." It's firm, and demanding, and she's pulling her Max mask back into place, determined not to show how hurt she was by his lies.   
"It wasn't a suggestion, Darcy." He's looking at his watch and the door, impatient.  
"Fuck you." She says decisively, taking her bag and pushing past him, out the door and walking swiftly to her building.  
"Lewis, we don't have time for this!" James growls as he catches up with her. He reaches for her arm and she dodges him with ease.  
"Don't. Fucking. Touch me." She snaps and stomps away, heeled boots clicking on the pavement as she tugs her coat closer. He doesn't say anything as his long legs instantly match her speedy stride at a more relaxed pace, but his face is the pure picture of irritation. He puts a gloved finger to his ear for a moment, and,  _god, of course he's got a comm on_. And suddenly she feels sick because,  _Jesus, did he have that the whole time she was shamelessly flirting and making a fool of herself?_

"Slight delay, requesting plan modification?" There was nothing but the sound of their breathing and the tap of her heels on the icy ground for a few moments as he waits for a reply, and Darcy wishes her legs were longer as she speeds up. "Tell the Commander I said to fuck himself, it won't work." His voice is full of irritation, and fucking hell, nothing's going his way. He taps off the comm as they enter Darcy's building, and she's in her apartment and slamming the door before he can follow. James sighs, digging in his pocket as he hears a lock click. It's a standard lock, and he has it picked in no time, and he pushes the door open. It doesn't go far, she's used the chain lock as well. He sighs and reaches with his left hand, shattering the chain in his bionic fingers and shoving the door open fully this time. Really, she's lucky that's the least damage he did.   
"No, no, get the fuck out!" A pillow comes flying his way, a harmless projectile, yet he dodges anyway. The back door is open and there's a  _fucking horse_ standing in the doorway to the kitchen. 

All things considered, it's not the weirdest thing James has seen. Red Skull kinda topped the weird list. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Then Nancy the cat jumps up on her bed, meowing and pawing at her nose. Darcy makes a small noise and pulls the cat to her. “You hungry, Nancy? I hope those stupid thugs didn’t step in your food, Nancy, otherwise Momma’s gonna hafta bring out her tazer.” Darcy rubs Nancy’s head, before kicking off her covers and rolling out of the bed, Nancy weaving around her bare feet.

Darcy's standing there, arms crossed, eyes full of fire, looking every bit a warrior goddess even in the damn waitress uniform. "Get out. I'm not going anywhere. I have a life here, a life I got myself. I'm not starting again because you got a little skittish!"

She turns on her heel, moving to the horse, her back to him. She takes a carrot from the fridge, feeding it to the horse and stroking his nose as she murmurs to him, and James sees her discreetly wiping her eyes.

"Darcy, I'll explain later, but right now, you have over a dozen A.I.M. Agents headed your way. We have to g-" He's interrupted by a loud bang, and sighs. "No time." He pushes past her frozen frame, grabbing the saddle and quickly saddling up the horse. The horse doesn't seem at all fazed as A.I.M. Agents flood through the door, and for once Darcy doesn't argue. She helps strapping the saddle into place, placing her boot in the stirrup and throwing her leg over as James kicks open the back gate. He holds his arm up as she rides past, and she takes it, helping him launch himself up on the back of Chestnut. "This is a one time deal. As soon as we've shaken them you're fucking right off." Her voice hitches in time with Chestnut's gallop, the streets eerily clear and he suspects S.H.I.E.L.D. had something to do with it.

"Just drive." James growls, and she barks out a laugh.

"He's a horse, not a car." She says, but it's lost in the sound of bullets ricocheting off nearby trashcans and dumpsters, and god, she hopes that wasn't Deke's dumpster. They'd parted on good terms and remained friends, she doesn't want him dead.

James mutters a stream of curses in what Darcy's sure are four different languages, turning on Chestnut so his back is pressed against hers. One hand holds himself steady on the saddle, and the other whips a handgun out of his coat, and, oh boy, Darcy's gonna throw up as she hears the gunshots ring out, and not even Chestnut's beating hooves could block out the yelps and wet thumps as the men trailing them fall to James' bullets.

She rounds another corner, half-wishing James would lose his grip and fall off as she does, but she stops short, tugging on Chestnut's reins.

There's a SHIELD blockade in front of them, and _oh fuck, Son of Coul_ and _shit that's Captain America_ and _why the fuck is there a pirate/matrix cosplayer there--  
_ She's distracted by James jumping off Chestnut, and Captain America and a small handful of agents running towards the AIM trail. Before Darcy has a chance to turn Chestnut and mad dash, an agent reaches out and grabs Chestnut's reins while James forcefully lifts Darcy off the horse.

"Hey, no, put me down, you half-brain dickweed!" Darcy yelps indignantly, slapping at his hands. James just sighs, setting her straight on the ground as piratrix cosplayer strolls forward.  
"You've been a very hard woman to track down, Miss Lewis." He says, fixing her with a stare from his one working eye. Darcy knows she probably shouldn't say what she's about to say, but she says it anyway.  
"And who the fuck do you think you are?" The remaining Agents gasp quietly, and one of them looks ready to pass out.  
"Director Nick Fury, of SHIELD--"  
"-- An organization that can kiss my ass." Darcy interrupts before she can stop herself. James suppresses a snort beside her, and she whirls to face him, pointing a finger at his face. "No. You do not get to laugh at that. We are not on the same side here, terminator, so you too can kiss my ass and get your glitchy cyborg self out of my line of sight." Next to her, the baby agent trying to handle Chestnut is failing horribly. The horse is growing restless, and Darcy sighs. "Chestnut!" She snaps, clicking her fingers and flapping a hand at the horse in the move Caroline had taught her when she'd first agreed to let Chestnut stay. The horse instantly calms, standing obediently beside Darcy as she snatches the reins off the Agent. "He's a champion, Man In Black, treat him like one."

"It's a shame, Miss Lewis." Fury speaks up again, hands folded behind his back. “We would’ve much preferred for you to come quietly.” He nods at someone behind her, and faintly, she hears James yell in protest, then the world goes black.

 

* * *

 

When she wakes, she’s back in her apartment. Almost makes her believe it was a dream. Then Nancy the cat jumps up on her bed, meowing and pawing at her nose. Darcy makes a small noise and pulls the cat to her. “You hungry, Nancy? I hope those stupid thugs didn’t step in your food, Nancy, otherwise Momma’s gonna hafta bring out her tazer.” Darcy rubs Nancy’s head, before kicking off her covers and rolling out of the bed, Nancy weaving around her bare feet. Her work apron is neatly folded on the nightstand, and Darcy has to tug the hem of her uniform from where it’s up around her boobs. They-that stupid men in black wannabe group- had obviously decided she was more trouble than she was worth, and dumped her home. She’s unzipping the front of her uniform and readjusting her bra as she walks out of her room, only to stop at the sight of someone in her kitchen.

So there she is, standing with one hand down her shirt, a cat trying to knot itself around her legs, staring at James as he leans against the counter of their tiny kitchen, sipping from a mug.

He puts the mug down, and she takes her hand from her front and quickly zips up her uniform. Well, as much as she can. James doesn’t move to her, doesn’t want her to start throwing things at him, but he does speak softly.

“I thought we could talk. If you’d... let me explain?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should be just one more part, depends on how much I write, coz I haven't actually written the next part.   
> I also probably won't for at least another two weeks, because I have half-yearly/end of semester/whatever you call them exams.   
> I was so super overwhelmed by the response to this, thank you all so much for your love, and keep it coming!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Proper damsel in distress.” And no, she does not like that thought at all, and Oh jesus how many people did she accidentally flash while she was knocked out, but considering everything else she’s done, it’s really not the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to her. “And what’s gonna happen to Caroline and Earl and the others?”

"So. Talk." Darcy moves around him, pulling a carrot from the fridge and feeding it to Chestnut, where he was standing in the open back door. "You were such a champ yesterday, Chestnut. Good boy."   
"I just-- I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't know Fury would do that. Phil and Steve have already chewed him out for it." James says from behind her, but she still doesn't look at him as she strokes Chestnut's nose. "I woulda knocked him out if I hadn't been carryin' you."   
"Typical man, solves all his problems by hitting them or running from them." Darcy scoffs to the horse, giving him another carrot before moving to fill Nancy's bowl with cat food. After she places it on the floor and pats Nancy's head, she straightens, but a pair of hands are on her shoulders, whirling her around. She's crowded between the counter and the solid press of James' body, and she may or may not have let out a terrified squeak.   
She can't look at his eyes-- they're filled with such sadness, and he's got that world-weary look about him. She focuses instead on the set of dogtags hanging from his neck, spots of silver against the dark of his shirt.   
"I never lied." He says softly to her, continuing in that same sad, soft tone. "Never. My name is James Barnes. I was born on the 10th of March—just in 1922. My parents died when I was seven, and my little sister Rebecca got sent to a different orphanage and I never saw her after that. I joined the army, and I lost my arm sometime in 1944, either in a fall off a train or the Soviets cut it off so they could stick this one on. I do live with my friends Steve and Tony, at Stark Tower. I did only drop into the neighborhood on Saturday nights, to make sure you were safe and AIM hadn't caught up with you for what you might remember of Jane's research."  
Darcy, for once, stays quiet, eyes still fixed on the dogtags. Wordlessly, James lifts them off his chest and lays the tags in the flesh hand for her to see the words engraved on them in the militaristic type. Hesitantly, she takes them from his hand, careful not to yank and pull them from his neck, just enough to see the words.

**B A R N E S  ,  J A M E S   B.**

**0 3 . 1 0 . 1 9 2 2**

She lets them drop and clatter loudly against his chest, and he still talks on. “I’m not much good with being social outside a mission. My mind’s been fucked over so many times that for a while I didn’t know which way was up, let alone who I was and why I was still alive. I’m not a good man, but you were the best part of my week.”

_Oh boy. This is more Caroline’s situation, why are these things happening to me, oh god, oh jesus, oh whatever deity is there—he’s staring Darcy say something—_

“What happened with Men in Black?”

And _w o w_ does her voice seem loud and obnoxious and she still hasn’t looked up at him _oh god kill me now._

“I didn’t approve with Fury’s methods of bringing you in. Neither did Phil, or Steve. They created a distraction for me to get you on the horse and bring you back here.” And now she has to look up, and there’s still that sad look in his eyes that seems to be permanent but there’s amusement there too, like he can’t believe he rode a horse through Williamsburg.

“Proper damsel in distress.” And no, she does not like that thought _at all,_ and _Oh jesus_ how many people did she accidentally flash while she was knocked out, but considering everything else she’s done, it’s really not the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to her. “And what’s gonna happen to Caroline and Earl and the others?”

“Caroline’s been offered her place back, all her assets unfrozen, accounts full. The diner will continue as normal.” But now he’s avoiding her gaze, and that makes her damn suspicious.

“Keep talking, terminator.” She half-snaps, and he sighs. He also still hasn’t moved from their close quarters. Not that she’s complaining.

“Earl knew I would come in every Saturday. He was the one who reported the AIM trail on you.” And damnit if those words weren’t a blow. “He’s a retired Agent. And... uh, Fury’s older brother.”

Darcy’s legs almost give out. _Almost._

“You mean Earl _lied_ to me?” Oh man, now she’s pissed. “I am going to hit him, I don’t care _how_ old he is—“ And she would’ve marched forward to grab her boots and her coat if James hadn’t pressed her against the counter again and wow he was all muscle.

“Darcy, please try and calm down.” He’s talking softly, as if to a wild animal, and all attraction to him be damned. _Or... You’re a woman, Darce, use it to your advantage!_

So she does.

She leans up on her toes, pressing her lips to his and _wow_ his lips are soft as hell and he tastes like coffee and whiskey and _cinnamon of all things_ and—

He’s stock still for a moment, before falling into the kiss, and as much as Darcy doesn’t want to break it, she does, using his distraction to dodge around him and grab her boots. She only gets halfway to the door before his arms grab hers, twirling her back into his grip and making her drop her boots and _thank god_ they didn’t fall on her bare toes.

“That was a dirty move.” And oh boy, his voice low and husky and Darcy feels a shiver down her back and she’s 143 percent sure she made a terrible decision two seconds ago but she would do it again in a heartbeat.

“Yeah, your face is a dirty move.” The insult comes out uncertain, and _wow his eyes are really blue that’s—yeah that’s a nice colour you got there, James._

“Don’t kiss me like that unless you intend to follow it up with another.” _Your voice should be weaponized because that’s really hot—_

“Yeah-well—“ She can’t think up a proper retort. The kiss was meant to stun him, but the solid press of his body was shorting her brain. _Reboot, reboot—_

Slowly, he leans down, giving her time to back away, and presses his lips against hers.

And this time, she’s not holding back. She wraps her arms around his neck, hands diving into his hair, and she only pulls away once to say—

“We’ll talk more. Later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied. I wanted to bang out another chapter before I have to do exams. Well, I banged out another chapter instead of studying, whoopsadaisy. Okay, seriously though, I probably won't put up another chapter for another fortnight because I can't half ass these exams. Hope you all enjoyed! Also, for some reason, I was listening to Jeremy Renner singing American Pie while writing this. His voice is gorgeous, holy wow.

**Author's Note:**

> Please refer to [ this note ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1844488/chapters/15547903)about this story and a few others I've posted.


End file.
